Body armour protection system protective hockey undershirt

ABSTRACT

A hockey shirt with a lower trunk opening, a neck opening and collar, including sleeves and cuff assembly. The shirt has special protective cover stitched, surged or fused on the lower sleeves, underarm parts and armpits to prevent against gashes, cuts and other injuries caused by skate blades.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of sports equipment, and more particularly to hockey equipment of the sort worn by a player to provide comfort and protection during the rough and tumble play of the game of hockey.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ice hockey is one of the most popular team sports played in Canada and the USA. It is a fast-paced game that combines players of many sizes together on the rink with high skating speed and fast, furious action.

Hockey is known as a hard-hitting, collision sport. Players risk injury from high-impact collisions with each other, the rigid boards that mark the boundary of the playing surface, and the goal posts. Impact with a skate blade, long sticks, and pucks traveling more than 100 MPH also add to the risk.

Lacerations (cuts) to the head, scalp and face have been reduced by the use of helmets and face shields but sadly, more serious cuts still continue to cause physical trauma to players at all levels in minor and major league hockey, including ringette, recreational and pick-up hockey games and practices.

While newer protective equipment is lighter, stronger and offers more protection, it has also been modified to make hockey movement easier. In particular, hockey gloves are now shorter and expose players to more wrist and arms injuries than before. Likewise, there is no equipment to protect the underarms, sides of torso and armpits from serious cuts. (See Appendix A.)

What is required is not only protection for the body parts susceptible to injury from skate blades, but protection that is lightweight, inexpensive and doesn't impede range of motion, particularly wrist and shoulder movement.

The BodyArmour System, Protective Hockey Undershirt, has been designed to meet the above criteria.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention meets the following criteria.

-   1. A simple and easy method for protecting arm and torso parts not     covered by existing hockey equipment protection. -   2. A product that is easily maintained and laundered as it will be     worn often and close to the skin. -   3. A product that improves the comfort of the wearer, such as by     reducing chaffing, itching and other discomforts that might arise if     the entire shirt were to be fabricated with the protective covering     only. -   4. A product that does not inhibit range of motion, thereby     maintaining a player's effectiveness. -   5. A product that can be mass produced. -   6. A product that is affordable. -   7. A product that does not add to the list of clothing or equipment     worn today by players but replaces an existing item of apparel. -   8. A product that can accommodate players of all sizes.

This invention meets the above criteria. It is an undershirt for use by hockey players, the undershirt comprising:

-   a torso portion with a lower trunk opening; -   a pair of sleeves attached to the torso portion with protective     covering on the forearms, underarms and armpit areas; -   a sleeve cuff assembly on each of said sleeves; and -   a head opening.

The undershirt for use by hockey players wherein a protective covering is made of an aramid fiber to guard against cuts and gashes between the hockey gloves and the elbow pads and shoulder pads; on the underside of the arms, in the armpit and on the sides of the torso.

This protective covering is sewn, surged (interlock) or fused between a layer of garment fabric made of 50% polyester and 50% cotton (or tubular 100% cotton and other similar materials without affecting the integrity of the safety features) and a layer of rip-stock nylon on top. The protective covering is 100% aramid fiber material. It is five times stronger than an equal weight of steel, has exceptional stretch resistance and is inherently flame resistant. This fibre is used extensively in Personal Body Armour, specialized gear for Correctional Officers and has many other uses in workplace safety. As well as providing protection against lacerations, it is light in weight, provides an extended-wear life and can be laundered.

Hockey players in the Central Junior Hockey League, the Nepean Minor Hockey League and local recreational leagues have tried out samples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing is of the front and back view showing the use of 4 different kinds of material.

A mixture of 50% polyester and 50% cotton or other similar material is used for the non-protective parts of the garment.

Rib knit or similar material is used for the collar and cuffs.

The aramid fiber material is used for protection in the underarms, cuffs and armpit areas. This material is sewn, surged (interlock) or fused between layers of the polycotton or other similar material and rip stock nylon, the fourth material used in producing this garment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The drawing shows an undershirt, which includes a torso, a neck opening and cuff, a lower trunk opening and a pair of sleeve openings and cuffs. The garment is manufactured in standard Canadian sizes for children and adults and can be custom-made as well.

The garment (a) itself is made up of a front, back and two sleeves and is made of a garment fabric—50% polyester and 50% cotton. It can also be made of tubular 100% cotton or other similar materials without affecting the integrity of the safety features.

The protective covering (b) is an aramid fiber material and covers the lower arms (front and back) the upper underarms, the armpits and the sides of the torso down to where the rib cage ends. Aramid is widely used today in workplace safety products, including body armour worn by police officers and correctional officers.

The wrist cuff assembly (c) is made from a knitted rib fabric to ensure secure and comfortable fit for all wrist sizes. Likewise, the neck opening (c) is a knitted rib fabric designed to fit various neck sizes and to be comfortable.

The combination of an undershirt with a protective covering is what makes this invention unique.

It can now be appreciated that the most preferred form of the present invention is to combine protection and undershirt into one product, providing essentially built-in protection. Instead of providing a 100% Kevlar fiber undershirt for protection as well as a regular hockey undershirt, two dressing room steps are reduced to a single one. All that is needed is to pull the undershirt on over the head and arms. Removing the undershirt it is just as easy. Further, the whole undershirt can be easily put into the wash, meaning that the sweat accumulated is eliminated. In this way this equipment can be kept clean and fragrant.

Various modifications and alterations are possible to the form of the invention, without departing from the scope of the broad claims as attached hereto. In particular, while reference has been made to a particular garment material or rib fabric, it is possible to alter those fabrics without compromising the protective nature of the undershirt or its value to hockey players. 

1. An undershirt for use by hockey players, said undershirt comprises: a torso portion; openings for arms of a wearer; said arms have protective covering on the underarms, lower arms and armpits; a lower trunk opening; and a head opening.
 2. An undershirt for use by hockey players as claimed in claim 1 wherein neck opening is a rib fabric.
 3. An undershirt for use by players as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cuffs are finished with a rib fabric.
 4. An undershirt for use by hockey players, the aramid material protective covering being stitched, surged or fused between the garment material made of 50% polyester and 50% cotton or 100% cotton or other similar material used for such garments and a rip-stop nylon. 